e of his lodgings and manage his affairs.

The serving-man quickly altered the rather poor appearance of
Graelent's apartment. He spread a rich coverlet upon his couch and
produced a well-filled purse and rich apparel. Graelent at once sought
out all the poor knights of the town and feasted them to their hearts'
content. From this moment he fared sumptuously every day. His lady
appeared whenever he desired her to, and great was the love between
them. Nothing more had he to wish for in this life.

A year passed in perfect happiness for the knight, and at its
termination the King held a great feast on the occasion of Pentecost.
To this feast Sir Graelent was bidden. All day the knights and barons
and their ladies feasted, and the King, having drunk much wine, grew
boastful. Requesting the Queen to stand forth on the dais, he asked
the assembled nobles if they had ever beheld so fair a dame as she.
The lords were loud in their praise of the Queen, save Graelent only.
He sat with bent head, smiling strangely, for he knew of a lady fairer
by far than any lady in that Court. The Queen was quick to notice this
seeming discourtesy, and pointed it out to the King, who summoned
Graelent to the steps of the throne.

"How now, Sir Knight," said the King; "wherefore did you sneer when
all other men praised the Queen's beauty?"

"Sire," replied Graelent, "you do yourself much dishonour by such a
deed. You make your wife a show upon a stage and force your nobles to
praise her with lies when in truth a fairer dame than she could very
easily be found."

Now when she heard this the Queen was greatly angered and prayed her
husband to compel Graelent to bring to the Court her of whom he
boasted so proudly.

"Set us side by side," cried the infuriated Queen, "and if she be
fairer than I before men's eyes, Graelent may go in peace, but if not
let justice be done upon him."

The King, stirred to anger at these words, ordered his guards to seize
Graelent, swearing that he should never issue from prison till the
lady of whom he had boasted should come to Court and pit herself
against the Queen. Graelent was then cast into a dungeon, but he
thought little of this indignity, fearing much more that his rashness
had broken the bond betwixt him and his fairy bride. After a while he
was set at liberty, on pledging his word that he would return bringing
with him the lady whom he claimed as fairer than the Queen.

Leaving the Court, he betook